The Thursday Night Club and Other Stories of Christmas Spirit by Steven Manchester

The Thursday Night Club and Other Stories of Christmas Spirit.  Steven Manchester. Fiction Studio Books. November 2017. 192 pp.  ISBN#: 9781945839160.

Izzy and Ava host a weekly Thursday Night Club get-together with Jessie Cabral, Ava, Randy and Kevin.  They’re College Senior students who work hard at their studies and play just as hard, goofy friends who love nothing better than a good prank on each other, harmless fun that lightens their work load. Some have risen from poverty and are paying their tuition by the skin of their teeth but they don’t focus much on the hardship part of it all.  They are loyal to each other and beyond that focusing on meeting the directions of their various professors.  One professor in particular is a philosophy teacher who is highly demanding but how isn’t specified.  Jessie Cabral is probably the only remarkable student among them, preferring to be out on the streets doing something kind for someone in need but never flaunting it in anyone’s face. 

 “Pay it forward” is a phrase that has been put into action over the last few years, but what this group agrees to do following an awful tragedy they are now living with will far exceed that temporary phase.  They will make another bet to see who can do the greatest good to another human being but they must remain anonymous. 

What follows is inventive, spontaneous, and a true blessing to each recipient of the deeds these students initiate. 

Two other stories are added to what was originally published as a novella that add to the reader’s experience of enjoying a true Christmas Spirit.  In A Christmas Wish, a grandmother teaches Brian and Steph that if they truly wish and envision that wish their dream will come true.  Brian is a miracle that embodies the truth of the Christmas Spirit, a man who was deemed unable to live any kind of meaningful life.  Steph has a newfound realization that she is afraid to see become reality.  Readers will love the outcome of these two situations and admire the true Christmas Spirit.

The Tin Foil Manger is about Nancy, an elderly woman in a nursing home whose children can’t bear to visit her and watch her as Alzheimer’s disease eats away her mind and body.  A caretaker of the home connects both Nancy and her two daughters to a time when Christmas memories were something that united the family with meaning and blessings.  These realities of a past life give Nancy and her daughters the meaning of Christmas that restores living in multiple, fond ways.

The Thursday Night Club… and two other stories is not only a perfect  holiday read but also one for every day of the year and years to follow.  A great read, may it inspire others to live a life with “purpose.”

How To Change A Life: A Novel by Stacey Ballis

How To Change A Life: A Novel. Stacey Ballis. Penguin Publishing Group. August 2017. 400 pp. ISBN# 9780425276624. 

Meet Eloise, a very talented chef, whose delicious descriptions of food and meal menus will either make you raid your refrigerator, dine out in high-end restaurants, or make you want to sign up for culinary school.  She has a wonderful job as a private chef for a rich family and every need she could possibly have is provided by her boss.  Romance is out the window as memories serve as a barrier to finding someone who can be trusted and who values her as a person.

So if one is content, why is that little internal nudging voice telling her there’s more to life?  The question roars to the fore when she gets together with two life-long friends, Lynne and Teresa.  They are all in the same boat, feeling content but incomplete.  So what do they do?  They set up a challenge for each one of them to complete over an eight-month period.  To make sure there are no shenanigans, they not only set up their own list but add items from each other.  That is the premise of this ambitious, feisty crowd of women that is the essence of this novel.

What will fascinate readers about this plot is what each one learns from the process of seeking higher goals. That is the essence of change, accepting one’s strengths, weakness, and foibles that could fall into either category.  There’s also a sense of intuition that needs to be recognized and honed to know what situations are life-giving and what scenarios are the road to disaster or at the least disappointment.

Eloise is definitely a different woman at the end of this journey, as are the other young women, and more of a fulfilled gal!  That doesn’t mean the trip is over; in fact, appreciating the process or proceeding to obtain goals adds a vivacious quality to Eloise’s life that is so attractive, in addition to a fine romance that engages the reader as well.

How To Change A Life is an enchanting contemporary story that will keep readers flipping the pages to the very last page, wishing the account would never end!  Very nice job, Stacey Ballis!

The Gifts of Man by S. M. McElligott

The Gifts of Man.  S. M. McElligott. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. August 2016. 448 pp.  ISBN#: 9781534732179.

We must follow the star! Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar, known as the three wise men of Biblical fame, received individual messages in their dreams that added to the astrological knowledge.  They came from areas of the Middle East where following Judaism was more of a liability than a blessing.  The Empire of Partha and a war-torn area of what is now Yemen were places where kings vied with each other for power but were helpless against the power of King Herod, himself supported by Roman domination. 

The author imagines the lives of these three men in their day-to-day existence.  One finally gets the approval he needs from his King to be an ambassador to find this new “King” only after a plague decimates his city and Gaspar survives that same disease.  One acquires a female traveling companion who entire family has been murdered by marauding bandits common throughout the Middle East.  They find intense hate, suspicion and love during their long journey.  A visit to King Herod to tell him of their great news produces an ambiguous response but the flattery that follows is the precursor to dire warnings. 

So many lush and sparse descriptions follow of traveling through cities and deserts that the reader is drawn into thinking and feeling part of their journey.  The climax of this journey, not surprisingly, is when they finally meet the newborn child whom they all believe is to be the Messiah.  Their gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold, while the most precious of offerings, seem minor beside their joy at seeing and holding this blessed babe. Gaspar receives an unexpected but life-saving healing from being in the presence of the long-awaited Savior by Jews throughout the world.  Differences are ironed out and marriages follow. Later on after they have returned to their native land, they hear of the life of Jesus, the Messiah, from Thomas, one of the famous apostles.  The three wise men, however, know that their lives were totally transformed by their journey and their brief meeting with the true gift to man.

This novel is obviously very well-researched and beautifully crafted, so much so that this reviewer was sorry when it ended.  A glossary and maps are added to enhance the reader’s experience. Ms. McElligott is a very talented writer whose novel will be a gift to those who read it.  Highly recommended historical and Biblical historical fiction!

The Thing Is by Kathleen Gerard

The Thing Is.  Kathleen Gerard. Red Adept Publishing. December 2015. 276 pp.  ISBN#: 9781940215587.

Meredith Mancuso is fiercely grieving as her fiancé has passed away.  She used to be a successful novelist whose romances and stories were and are best sellers that it seems everyone knows. But Meredith has become a recluse and is ignoring calls from her agent and publisher because she’s just so bogged down in sadness.  It’s more than grieving; it’s rock solid depression.  That is until her accountant, CPA, numbers driven sister, Monica, rings her door – or actually is banging on the door like she’s going to break it down if Meredith doesn’t open up.  Before Meredith can blink her eyes, Monica is pushing a furry dog into her arms – a Yorkshire terrier called yes, Prozac!

This then is the story of Meredith’s baby-sitting venture with Prozac whom she is constantly trying to get rid of but whose attachment slowly but surely grows immensely – albeit pushed by bribery, threats of imprisonment for doggie abuse, and other hilarious scenes that are sheer delightful reading! 

For Prozac is a “Spirit Guide Dog,” that is one who is sensitive to the moods and feelings of wounded folks and able to heal them with his vibrant, loving presence.  He has a weekly schedule – he actually belongs to Meredith’s aunt who is recovering from surgery - of visiting but I won’t spoil that but let you discover the craziness of each spot they visit.    Of course, Meredith doesn’t really realize that she’s a tough project for Prozac but he gives her a healthy dose of her own stubborn rejection which is absolutely hysterical. 

The Thing Is has no linear plot; it just happens.  While that might trouble some readers, it is actually pleasant to just “go with it” along with Meredith and Prozac.  It’s a nice, light read that you’ll want to re-read just to enjoy the laughs all over again! Nicely done, K. Gerard!

The Yoga of Max's Discontent: A Novel by Karan Bajaj

The Yoga of Max’s Discontent: A Novel.  Karan Bajaj. Wisdom Publications MA. May 2016. 336 pp.  ISBN#: 9781594634116.

Max is a successful financial analyst on Wall Street.  He lives and breathes numbers, whether at work or at home.  But upon the death of his mother, he suddenly finds his life is purposeless.  He begins to wonder what his mother and other people’s suffering and joy is all about.  It strikes him as a noisy, chaotic rat race.  Eat, sleep, work and die – is that really what it’s all about?  A local street food seller stands outside in the middle of winter without a shirt on and Max questions him about this obviously insane act.  It turns out that Max is the one living an in-sane (not sane) life without one shred of letting go and living at oneness with body and mind that this cook has.  Little by little, Max begins to read and hear about gurus and ashrams in India where one may aspire to a different experience of life.  On one day when he’s being highly pressured to come up with a financial analysis which will dramatically cut costs for his company, he says, “I can’t do this right now,” and quits!

Off to India Max travels; the only thing is he’s arrived in the beginning of winter, not a time to be trying to get to the high ranges of the Himalaya Mountains.  However, Max signs on with the right guides and begins a daunting trek up the mountains.  Not to spoil the story, suffice to say that he meets teachers and practitioners of yoga who invite him to experience the life he seeks.  There he will learn that it is possible to let go of rational thought when necessary and be one with the environment.  It’s a brutally dangerous and irrational journey Max takes, one which he almost abandons at times but one in which he finally finds peace, one where he finds himself to lose the “worry” and stress of a lifetime and just “be.”

Nicely done Karan Bajaj!  This is a novel that may not drive people to India but just may pose enough questions to provoke a different search for the same ends!

The Story of Mu by James Cordova and Mark Morse

The Story of Mu.  James Cordova and Mark Morse. Wisdom Publications MA. April 2016. 64 pp.  ISBN#: 9781614292203.

This short narrative is a picture book that tells the story of the origin of life and the story of a man who lived a regular life.  He finally sat under a tree and meditated until he was One with matter, space and time. This realization is all that could free humans from endless searching and suffering.  “I am Mu.”  This is a koan (Zen riddle) that can only “be known.” It defies logic, study, etc.

The second half of the book contains beautiful illustrations of the story told in the first part, but it will strike the reader that meditating on each picture will bring one into that Oneness. 

This is not the kind of book that one rates; one may read it on several levels.  Or perhaps one may use it as a meditation book.

While those who are familiar with Buddhism will relish this book, non-Buddhist readers should also cherish its warm, inspirational qualities.

The authors are both highly trained and practitioners of their respective fields, Dharma transmission – a school of Zen Buddhism – and art.

I received this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.  The story and illustrations are ones I would definitely recommend to other readers to enjoy and ponder!

The Decision: Praire State Friends (Book One) by Wanda E. Brunstetter

The Decision: Prairie State Friends (Book One).  Wanda E. Brunstetter. Barbour Publishing Incorporated. March 2015. 320 pp.  ISBN#: 9781616260880.

Jonah Miller and Elaine Shrock are in love; and while no verbal proposal has been made, each understands they will wed in the future. At least that’s the way it was planned in their minds until Elaine’s grandfather passed away after making Elaine promise she would take care of her grandmother in the future.  Elaine takes that promise very, very seriously even while she is doing her own mourning for this Amish family man whom she adored, a real father to her in her orphan status after losing her own parents. 

The tension begins when first Elaine’s grandmother insists on being independent, even though it is clear after a while that something is physically and mentally wrong with her.  Jonah is trying as best he can, while he is running his own business and working very hard, to offer help to the Shrock family.  But even though these characters are Amish and living in an atmosphere of mutual support and care based on Biblical principles, stubbornness and denial begin to rule the day. 

This then covers the remainder of the story, with small problems growing rapidly into large ones, when decisions are made that cannot be taken back, and when one realizes that costs are higher when caring for a loved one in need.  How does one live through such a tempestuous time without becoming bitter and angry? In addition, the imminent and constantly stressful moments from dealing with a loved one with dementia are so very important, more important than the Amish community that directs the daily lives of every community member.  This is a growing universal problem that Wanda Brunstetter addresses and depicts with graceful but gritty style. 

There is a lovely, calm tone throughout this novel that actually communicates peace to the reader.  This is because these people live by the spirit of the laws they obey and their worship which they share.  

In a world that is more and more chaotic, The Decision is a lovey way to step aside and relish how faith endures and bolsters the ups and downs of every man and woman’s live.  Lovely contemporary and inspirational fiction!

The Thursday Night Club - A Tale of Christmas Spirit - a Novella by Steven Manchester

The Thursday Night Club – A Tale of Christmas Spirit – a novella.  Steven Manchester. The Story Plant. November 2014. 64 pp.  ISBN#: 9781611882032.

Izzy and Ava host a weekly Thursday Night Club get-together with Jessie Cabral, Ava, Randy and Kevin.  They’re College Senior students who work hard at their studies and play just as hard, goofy friends who love nothing better than a good prank on each other, harmless fun that lightens their work load. Some have risen from poverty and are paying their tuition by the skin of their teeth but they don’t focus much on the hardship part of it all.  They are loyal to each other and beyond that focusing on meeting the directions of their various professors.  One professor in particular is a philosophy teacher who is highly demanding but how isn’t specified.  Jessie Cabral is probably the only remarkable student among them, preferring to be out on the streets doing something kind for someone in need but never flaunting it in anyone’s face. 

We meet them one Thursday night when they bet $.75 each to see who can play the funniest prank, specifying that such a plan is not to cause harm or hurt anyone else’s feelings. The game is on and they all do a great job which the reader will be sure to chuckle at.  But the laughs are soon to end dramatically when a tragedy strikes one of their group.  It will change their lives forever and many, many other lives because of what follows!

“Pay it forward” is a phrase that has been put into action over the last few years, but what this group agrees to do following the tragedy they are now living with will far exceed that temporary phase.  They will make another bet to see who can do the greatest good to another human being but they must remain anonymous. 

What follows is inventive, spontaneous, and a true blessing to each recipient of the deeds these students initiate.  To tell all would be a spoiler unworthy of this Christmas gift given to us by Steven Manchester.  One little hint – would you donate part of your body to give life to another – while you are alive?

The Thursday Night Read… is not only a perfect  holiday read but also one for every day of the year and years to follow.  A great read, may it inspire others to live a life with “purpose.”

War of Wings: A Novel by Tanner McElroy

War of Wings.  Tanner McElroy. Brown Books Publishing Company. March 2014. 384 pp.  ISBN#: 9781612541549.

Lucifer, Michael, Gabriel, and other angels in Heaven are parties to a looming revolution against God.  Heaven is described as a heady, perfect place where the architecture is rather garishly glorious and nature yields only the most succulent of fruits.  God is really never actually seen because of the blinding radiance of His person and there is a touch of human envy in the way all the angels vie to be in God’s presence in order to “talk” with him.  Blind faith is the heavenly, ubiquitous law and the initial hints of “trouble in Paradise” begin with multiple questions about the origin of life and Lucifer’s need to sit at the right hand of God.  It all seems like petulant children vying for parental approval and favor until the initial discomfiting conversations transition to a nasty tone!

Surprisingly, Gabriel’s character is given a rather different slant in this story.  He seems to be a totally self-absorbed individual who is an athletic professional and a despoiler of nature in the nonchalant way he gorges on luscious fruits and discards the rinds like a true litterer who never gets caught and penalized.  Then there is the odd relationship he has with his best friend, Michael.  Michael consistently berates Gabriel for a lack of responsibility and lax attitude to his work for God.  Their constant bickering, however, suddenly becomes violent with physical fights and then avoidance of each other.

The fascinating part of this story, besides Lucifer’s seductive campaign to turn the other angels away from God, involves the asking of questions similar to those of the evolutionary crowd debating the creationists.  If God made all, who made God?  The origin of matter is never explained beyond the questions but it does succeed in getting pride to rise and rise and rise, becoming anger and then rebellion.  Women are also used to exacerbate the confusion and turmoil, as well as being used as tools to tempt the faithful to the side of evil. This reviewer was reminded, while reading this novel, of the debates and declarations of the great writer, C. S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters.

War of Wings moves from a playful to serious and then dark tones.  Heaven’s light begins to dim as the looming war approaches!  However, even at the end, the resolution is not quite finished business and obviously seems like a transition point for a future continuation of this world-changing conflict which continues to today.  Very nicely plotted mix of religious and scientific thought!  Interesting, somewhat contrived but thoughtfully crafted and fascinating novel!

Pastors' Wives: A Novel by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen

Pastors’ Wives: A Novel.  Lisa Takeuchi Cullen. Plume Books: Penguin Group (USA).  April 2013. 368 pp. hbk. ISBN #: 9780452298828.

Ruthie is a non-believer whose husband hears “the call” to service for God.  Imagine her dismay when he asks her to share his mission in a megachurch in Atlanta, Georgia called Greenleaf.  Her background is publicity and she is quickly upon their arrival put in charge of a journalist who wants to follow the pastor and write a series of articles on this famous beloved man of God, Aaron.  Candace is his “perfect” wife, a woman who dresses stylishly, always has a smile on her face, and who is really the super-manager of Greenleaf Church.  Her faith is real but her job is so stressful that she pops Imitrex for migraines on a daily basis.  The tension never leaves as there are constant problems from parishioners as well as the elders who mercilessly oppose the couple’s innovative programs like pop Christian music, a coffee bar, bookstore, and yoga center. The more appealing it seems to the reader, the more trouble it brings!

Once Ruthie and hubby Jerry get to work, Jerry becomes the favorite of Aaron, a relationship like that of a father and son who grow very close.  Candace is carefully watching Ruthie and likes what she sees, something that doesn’t happen much with her son Timothy’s wife, Ginger, a woman who is hiding such a horrific secret that could totally destroy the church if known to the public.  Apart from that, Ginger is a great Mom but has no special gifts to contribute to the church, at least that’s how she thinks and feels as she’s constantly exposed to Candace’s pattern of scrutiny followed by disgust.  Not a very healthy scenario and the reader sees it all foreshadowing something disastrous.

Candace’s pride and joy, however, are her grandchildren.  She’ll do anything and everything for them; indeed aside from her passionate love of her husband, the children are the true joy of her life.  She makes sure they are dressed well, eat only healthy food, and have excellent books and education.  Yet why is she always asking God, “How can I serve You?”  Her prayers seem quite formal and repetitive but they are the most honest part of her personality and she will soon enough discover what true faith is!

For several potentially destructive challenges lie ahead that will change this group of three so very different women to unite and become truly pastors’ wives in the most literal sense of the phrase. Why must faith, marriage, loyalty to family, and so much more be tested? And how does one know if one’s faith is real, strong, and/or weak?

Pastors’ Wives is quite refreshing.  These women are so very human and their dilemmas parallel the problems of their parishioners.  It is a delight to share the journey of each person.  The tension never lessens and how each handles that atmosphere is the “key” in this novel to stabilizing and strengthening each of them, to discover the hidden strength that faith in God and each other provide in every moment, through the most challenging and joyful of times!

Insecurities, mistakes, mis-communication, and so many more problems leave this group of three woman in constant flux.  Each learns to shed the useless garbage of the past and embrace the identity that each discovers as the story progresses into almost unbelievably killing stress.  Fine, fine fiction, Ms. Cullen. Compromise? Submission?  Rebellion? Lies or Honesty? Always the conflict evolves to form a fine secondary revelation for each of these three women who are so much stronger than they think

Finely written, Ms. Cullen – finely indeed!

The Dalai Lama's Cat: A Novel by David Michie

The Dalai Lama's Cat: A Novel. David Michie. Hay House, Inc.,  October 2012, 240 pp., ISBN #: 9781401940584.

Ah, this is the life!!! Originally dumped in the street by unkind hooligans, this unkempt is meant to be sold into an even harsher life but instead is rescued by the Dalai Lama's Assistant.  Now, he is HHC or "His Holiness's Cat" or Snow Lion...or some other embarrassing but funny names acquired as vital lessons in the path of holiness!

Consider the fact of pride as "being" one of the favorites of this revered holy man, the Dalai Lama.  A French chef who owns a very popular restaurant near the actual home of the Dalai Lama wears the symbols of his Buddhist initiation on his physical person and has them draped all over his restaurant.  In a gently amusing way, he is gradually led to see that outer signs and associations matter not at all; the Dalai Lama always voices these lessons near to HHC with a chuckle and a pet.  Meanwhile, HHC manages to keep his revered seat in the restaurant as HHC! You have to laugh and not just read the truth but feel it all in your own bones! Outstanding technique!

So this book continues with visitor after visitor and numerous scenes where HHC mistakes the changes happening around him, always told in a wry, funny way endearing this cat and the Dalai Lama to the reader for the truth and blessing shared!

Outstanding and so well done, more please, David Michie!  This is "real" spirituality!

Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard Von Bingen by Mary Sharratt

Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard Von Bingen. Mary Sharratt. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. October 2012. 288 pp. ISBN # 9780547567846.

This is as disturbing a story as it is inspiring!  At the age of 8 years old, in order to win dowries for Hildegard's sisters, her mother "tithes" her to a monk's monastery to become an anchorite.  That means that she and another young girl will be placed in two rooms that are completely walled in except for a small grille through which their spiritual advisor can speak to them and through which food and drink of the coarsest nature will be passed at mealtimes.  Jutta with whom Hildegard is imprisoned is pious beyond what one would ever expect in such a young girl, wearing a hair shirt one-piece garment and ultimately a metal belt with thorn-like prongs that she wears around her waist under her gown that already makes her bleed.  

A young monk, Volmar, befriends Hildegard, supplying her with books on medicinal herbs and providing her with paper and books from which she learns to read and write.  She is comforted by the mystical visions she has of The Blessed Virgin Mary, who appears in different forms but always with holy messages. The visions, however, are always accompanied by a form of illness, be it dizziness or headaches.  Jutta eventually dies and now the real life of Hildegard begins. She has a definite gift of hearing beautiful music and divine verses that will eventually make her famous throughout the world. Life is so so painful with constant conflict from the Abbot and other monks.

Eventually she will win the support of other clergy. Other women will join her and soon she will found her own convent and move through relationships that show her clearly how worldly and sinfully proud she really is!  But then her saintly behavior and words of healing wisdom begin to attract pilgrims.  After her first very tough lessons, Hildegard must grow up and realize that "balance" is mandatory; favoritism and uniqueness is heresy, a sign of a traitor, even a sign perhaps of the devil working in her life!

Mary Sharratt paints a portrait of a woman whose emotions and thoughts are the epitome of saintly behavior and attitude and at the same time frail with undeveloped pride and selfishness.  What else could a woman do who was shut away from the world for thirty years - an inconceivable tortured time, at least to this reviewer.  Every step forward to greater holiness is fraught with temptation and even abuse.  It's not pretty at all and yet Hildegard learns that service to others is more important than her own temporal desires.  Mary Sharratt has fashioned a novel that is riddled with problems that make the reader ask innumerable questions and offers few responses except for those trustworthy souls sharing her journey.  What a remarkable novel. Hildegard is a historical work of fiction that may leave you with more questions than answers.  The line between insanity and saintly behavior, thought, and feeling is thin indeed!  Stunning fiction!

Abby Finds Her Calling: Home at Cedar Creek - Book One by Naomi King

Abby Finds Her Calling: Home at Cedar Creek - Book One. Naomi King. New American Library Trade Paperback, Penguin Group. March 2012. 320 Pages. ISBN #: 9780451235732.

Welcome to a new series about the Amish community in Cedar Creek, Missouri. It's a beautiful fall day which bridegroom James Graber is relishing as he watches the carriages of Amish from surrounding and far away communities converge on Cedar Creek for James's wedding that day.  Watching them arrive, James is contemplating his future wife, Zanna, whom he loves and is determined to cherish for the rest of their lives. Things seem to go completely awry a few minutes later when Zanna's sister, Abby, comes to tell James that Zanna is nowhere to be found.  What a disaster - embarrassment galore, shame, anger, fury, confusion and so much more are felt and expressed.  The Bishop who was to marry them decides they will worship and celebrate life in spite of the lack of a bride and groom.

So begins a story in which Zanna does reappear but in a condition that all blame her and James for, which was really caused by a secret other.  Because of her sin, Zanna is "banned" (or shunned) for six weeks by her community, but it takes a lot longer than that for the community to heal and begin to treat her civilly.  

During that time, secrets will be revealed.  A lost son will return through a terrible tragedy and the unexpected will happen to both Zanna and Abby, who has mentally nurtured a hidden love of her own she's had for eons it seems.    It may seem a bit stretched the way it all turns out, but that happens in a very nice way that the reader will definitely enjoy.  

Naomi King has a very unique gift of presenting a simple romance with a few twists and turns.  Her unique talent is making sure every possible point of view is expressed in a credible, real way that is quite edifying and electric with tension.  Not many authors who write this type of fiction have such a balanced perspective.  It's not a touchy, feel good book, just a very honest story about love and grace gone amiss and the honestly difficult but determined journey it takes to come truly "home."

Very nicely done, Ms. King!

The Way by Kristen Wolf

The Way. Kristen Wolf. Crown Publishing Group. July 2011. 368 Pages. ISBN #: 9780307717696.

The Earth is the Mother's and all that flows from there. Staying one with the Mother through meditation and respect for creation yields right relationships and blessings in the fruits of creation. These are some of the fundamental beliefs that the followers of the Way have followed for centuries, but now it is women who live these beliefs as the religion of men has grown in order to justify male domination. The latter is now determined to eradicate the Way and all of its followers by whatever means possible.

This is the world into which Anna is born. Her mother may have been a follower but is weakened by a domineering, abusive husband. After her mother bears a stillborn child and then dies herself, Anna's father sells her to traveling shepherds, but not before a wise woman protects Anna from worse.  A mysterious necklace is all Anna has to remind her of a sacred, healing power existing somewhere in the world. Anna, one realizes is a girl but has the facial features of a boy for which she is despised and feared as an emanation of something evil.

After she has learned the work of shepherding, she hears more of this Way briefly but is more preoccupied with the male role she is constantly living and making friends with the leader and another man, Peter, who has secret feelings for this young boy now known as Jesus. The story gradually changes to the point where Jesus is sent on a mission to get supplies and comes upon those women living in a cave in the secret area known as "The Narrows." Here Jesus' real identity is uncovered and she gradually becomes trusted enough to learn of the Way and the troubles that threaten its very existence.

Jesus begins to travel and the story unravels to the point where events occur that defy most readers' expectations on their own religious upbringing and education. Surprises and agonizing attacks and more loom on every page.

The Way is quite simply an astonishing story that is both credible and incredible. It stretches the imagination, one's doubts, wonder, beliefs over and over again, leaving one with questions and answers galore! Fascinating fiction!